John Post on sat 26 mar 11
I try to stay away from discussing politics on this list but
unfortunately in this case politics is having a direct impact on
whether or not kids in Michigan will get arts education next year.
Governor Snyder has proposed a budget that cuts school aid by $300
dollars per pupil for the 2011-2012 school year. Federal stimulus
money has run out so that amounts to another $170 per pupil cut. The
governor is also shifting some retirement expenses from the State of
Michigan down to local school districts.
Average calculations across the state estimate each school district
will lose $715 per student.
In the Utica Community Schools district that I work in, this works out
to a total loss of over 22 million dollars. What's worse is that this
comes on the heels of 67 million dollars of cuts from the State of
Michigan over the last 5 years.
Governor Snyder claims that he wants public employees to pay for 20%
of the cost of their healthcare. In my school district this could
reduce expenses by 5 million dollars. Where will the other 17 million
dollars in cuts come from? If programs like art, music, gym and
library were cut, this still wouldn't add up to the 17 million dollars
in cuts my school district will have to make.
So Governor Snyder has a plan. If a school district is insolvent, an
emergency financial manager will be appointed who can void union
contracts, replace superintendents and elected school boards and make
unilateral decisions about how a school district runs. Governor
Snyder has already signed this Emergency Financial Manager legislation
into law, and it applies to municipalities too. If the city you live
in can't pay its bills, the governor can appoint an emergency
financial manager who can remove your elected city officials.
The Detroit Free Press has reported that with all of the cuts to
education proposed in next year's budget, that 150 districts across
the state will run out of money and thus qualify to have an emergency
financial manager step in to manage them.
This will not be good for programs like the arts. The only reason
that the arts have survived this long in Michigan is that parents are
entitled to the school of their choice in the county in which they
reside. No school district wants to be without the arts because they
fear their students will leave and go to another school district thus
taking their education dollars with them. Competition has temporarily
kept arts programs alive.
Even though it is illegal for teachers to go on strike in Michigan, I
believe that this will indeed happen before this school year closes.
Teachers are that frustrated and afraid of how devastating next year's
cuts will be.
If anyone knows of two art K-12 education positions opening up for
next year in a state with a warm sunny climate, let me know. My wife
and I may have to leave Michigan when the lights in our art rooms are
turned off for good.
John Post
Sterling Heights, Michigan
http://www.johnpost.us
Follow me on Twitter
https://twitter.com/UCSArtTeacher
Sean Burns on sun 27 mar 11
On Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:48:01 -0400, John Post=3D20
wrote:
>I try to stay away from discussing politics on this list but
>unfortunately in this case politics is having a direct impact on
>whether or not kids in Michigan will get arts education next year.
>
>
John,
This is discouraging news and is totally relevant to this list- so m=
=3D
any are=3D20
brought to arts/clay through our public schools and unfortunately the chi=
=3D
ldren=3D20
with the weakest support systems are the ones who lose the biggest when=3D2=
0=3D
political crunch time works its way through the public education system. =
=3D
It is=3D20
not just Michigan - In the system where I work in Massachusetts the=3D20
relatively small Art program I direct is scheduled to lose art at the ele=
=3D
mentary=3D20
and middle school levels while retaining 3 postions at the high school-
While the politicians have not gone completely Draconian=3D20
in my state it is really heartwrenching to go through this scenario- agai=
=3D
n- for=3D20
the third year in a row in my case. I know parents want whats best for ki=
=3D
ds- I=3D20
definately am not sure politicians across the country do. There needs to =
=3D
be a=3D20
way to preserve good teachers and programs while dealing with the current=
=3D
=3D20
fiscal crisis- People who made money off the good times need to step up a=
=3D
nd
help out all those they made money off of in the bad - This should be fel=
=3D
t
in the areas of STEM subjects as in well as Humanities.=3D20
I am not going to go into union/system busting tactics currently in vog=
=3D
ue-=3D20
but while the public education system and means of delivery is currently =
=3D
and=3D20
rightly in complete flux- wreaking havoc on our youngsters and profession=
=3D
als=3D20
will engender years of mistrust and sense of disenfranchisement in what i=
=3D
s=3D20
basically our future taxpayers and caretakers. Really stupid long term pl=
=3D
anning=3D20
and in need of confrontation at the public level.
Again I am sorry to hear that your program and livlihood are being so=
=3D
=3D20
adversely effected- this is so wrong it is criminal.
Sean =
=3D
Burns
Willi=
=3D
amsburg, Ma.
Fred Parker on sun 27 mar 11
John: Every time I read something like this I am drawn back into a seeth=
=3D
ing
rage over how so-called "public education" prioritizes and allocates the
funds contributed by taxpayers for kids' education. Although I do not li=
=3D
ve
in Michigan I believe the real problem is, essentially, universal through=
=3D
out
the country. I also believe little is being done to solve it because ver=
=3D
y
few who are in a position to do something about it have any inkling what =
=3D
the
real problem is.
I am closely related to a career public school teacher. I hear much the
general public never hears -- almost as much as a teacher in the middle o=
=3D
f
it all. After years of hearing absolutely incredible stories about how
local schools "invest" in "education," and after seeing just as much abou=
=3D
t
how actual educational levels are declining instead of increasing I can o=
=3D
nly
conclude this: the institutional objective of the public school system ha=
=3D
s
nothing whatsoever to do with educating kids. It has everything to do wi=
=3D
th
protecting jobs and benefits for teachers and staff of the system.
Institutionally, public education has discouraged teacher achievement,
encouraged mediocrity, protected non-performers and morphed into an
organization where political correctness and a mindless quest for "level
playing fields" for absolutely every student regardless of potential, at =
=3D
the
expense of those students who actually DO excel has become the end and th=
=3D
e
means rolled into one. Teacher time and school resources are routinely
squandered on the lower segments of the bell curve while more capable and=
=3D
willing students are left to languish on their own. Administrators worry=
=3D
about test scores instead of education, and the PC demand du jour soaks u=
=3D
p
teacher time filling out forms and manipulating instruction to better fit=
=3D
into whatever the upper bureaucracy has shoved down the tubes.
Art has never been valued by our public school system. Islands of art
acceptance and even encouragement are here and there because especially
talented and motivated teachers like yourself, Mel and others have made i=
=3D
t
happen in spite of the system. However, when all is said and done, most =
=3D
of
our society still regards art as an unessential nicety for those who are =
=3D
not
naturally athletic. "Sports," they will tell you, "builds character and
teaches teamwork -- vital traits for productive adults." Art, by
implication, does not. Those who say this apparently never were members =
=3D
of
any musical group, nor have they even heard the term, "collaborative art.=
=3D
"
This puts the double whammy on the backs of art teachers and parents who
actually do value the arts. First, the money that is there is wasted on
bullshit minutia designed not to educate children but to make adults feel=
=3D
good about themselves; and second, because art really is not given much
importance, you are right: it is typically the first to go.
Your district apparently did something right in offering school choice --=
=3D
a
factor that at least partially allows the free market to decide what it
wants. In districts where arts-friendly parents reside that should eleva=
=3D
te
the arts' priorities somewhat.
But preserving arts programs will ultimately require that communities dem=
=3D
and
some common-sense practices in the schools where their tax dollars are be=
=3D
ing
spent. Attempts to ensure that every student has a "uniform" education a=
=3D
re
ludicrous. Every student is not equal to every other student. Some are
better at mathematics or reading or art or fixing cars or helping others.=
=3D
=3D20
Some are gregarious; others are loners. Some are extremely intelligent.=3D=
20=3D
Some are dumb as a stop sign. Some are respectful of others; their proper=
=3D
ty,
opinions and backgrounds while others are crass little bastards that need=
=3D
some tough love in their lives.
Until public education embraces the differences among students -- and com=
=3D
es
up with a non-PC way of coping with them -- they will continue to squande=
=3D
r
money on "inventive" ways to remain in denial and have warm shivers run u=
=3D
p
their legs. As they do, whatever might have otherwise been available for=
=3D
the arts during a budget crunch will be swallowed up as it has been for d=
=3D
ecades.
Fred Parker
On Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:48:01 -0400, John Post =
=3D
wrote:
>I try to stay away from discussing politics on this list but
>unfortunately in this case politics is having a direct impact on
>whether or not kids in Michigan will get arts education next year.
>
>Governor Snyder has proposed a budget that cuts school aid by $300
>dollars per pupil for the 2011-2012 school year. Federal stimulus
>money has run out so that amounts to another $170 per pupil cut. The
>governor is also shifting some retirement expenses from the State of
>Michigan down to local school districts...
SNIP
gwynneth rixon on sun 27 mar 11
I've heard that Cornell Ceramics Dept in NY is closing (and a bar will open
in its place....!)
Gwynneth
Wales
On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 4:53 PM, Fred Parker wrote:
> John: Every time I read something like this I am drawn back into a
> seething
> rage over how so-called "public education" prioritizes and allocates the
> funds contributed by taxpayers for kids' education. Although I do not li=
ve
> in Michigan I believe the real problem is, essentially, universal
> throughout
> the country. I also believe little is being done to solve it because ver=
y
> few who are in a position to do something about it have any inkling what
> the
> real problem is.
>
> I am closely related to a career public school teacher. I hear much the
> general public never hears -- almost as much as a teacher in the middle o=
f
> it all. After years of hearing absolutely incredible stories about how
> local schools "invest" in "education," and after seeing just as much abou=
t
> how actual educational levels are declining instead of increasing I can
> only
> conclude this: the institutional objective of the public school system ha=
s
> nothing whatsoever to do with educating kids. It has everything to do wi=
th
> protecting jobs and benefits for teachers and staff of the system.
>
> Institutionally, public education has discouraged teacher achievement,
> encouraged mediocrity, protected non-performers and morphed into an
> organization where political correctness and a mindless quest for "level
> playing fields" for absolutely every student regardless of potential, at
> the
> expense of those students who actually DO excel has become the end and th=
e
> means rolled into one. Teacher time and school resources are routinely
> squandered on the lower segments of the bell curve while more capable and
> willing students are left to languish on their own. Administrators worry
> about test scores instead of education, and the PC demand du jour soaks u=
p
> teacher time filling out forms and manipulating instruction to better fit
> into whatever the upper bureaucracy has shoved down the tubes.
>
> Art has never been valued by our public school system. Islands of art
> acceptance and even encouragement are here and there because especially
> talented and motivated teachers like yourself, Mel and others have made i=
t
> happen in spite of the system. However, when all is said and done, most =
of
> our society still regards art as an unessential nicety for those who are
> not
> naturally athletic. "Sports," they will tell you, "builds character and
> teaches teamwork -- vital traits for productive adults." Art, by
> implication, does not. Those who say this apparently never were members =
of
> any musical group, nor have they even heard the term, "collaborative art.=
"
>
> This puts the double whammy on the backs of art teachers and parents who
> actually do value the arts. First, the money that is there is wasted on
> bullshit minutia designed not to educate children but to make adults feel
> good about themselves; and second, because art really is not given much
> importance, you are right: it is typically the first to go.
>
> Your district apparently did something right in offering school choice --=
a
> factor that at least partially allows the free market to decide what it
> wants. In districts where arts-friendly parents reside that should eleva=
te
> the arts' priorities somewhat.
>
> But preserving arts programs will ultimately require that communities
> demand
> some common-sense practices in the schools where their tax dollars are
> being
> spent. Attempts to ensure that every student has a "uniform" education a=
re
> ludicrous. Every student is not equal to every other student. Some are
> better at mathematics or reading or art or fixing cars or helping others.
> Some are gregarious; others are loners. Some are extremely intelligent.
> Some are dumb as a stop sign. Some are respectful of others; their
> property,
> opinions and backgrounds while others are crass little bastards that need
> some tough love in their lives.
>
> Until public education embraces the differences among students -- and com=
es
> up with a non-PC way of coping with them -- they will continue to squande=
r
> money on "inventive" ways to remain in denial and have warm shivers run u=
p
> their legs. As they do, whatever might have otherwise been available for
> the arts during a budget crunch will be swallowed up as it has been for
> decades.
>
> Fred Parker
>
>
> On Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:48:01 -0400, John Post
> wrote:
>
> >I try to stay away from discussing politics on this list but
> >unfortunately in this case politics is having a direct impact on
> >whether or not kids in Michigan will get arts education next year.
> >
> >Governor Snyder has proposed a budget that cuts school aid by $300
> >dollars per pupil for the 2011-2012 school year. Federal stimulus
> >money has run out so that amounts to another $170 per pupil cut. The
> >governor is also shifting some retirement expenses from the State of
> >Michigan down to local school districts...
>
> SNIP
>
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